ABOUT ME
My passion as a wine collector began nearly 50 years ago working in a Boston area wine store when wines named “Chablis” and “Burgundy” commanded a lot of shelf space and Chianti came in a straw covered bottle that was popularly used as a candle holder.
Around this time, the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting (the “Judgment of Paris”) and new interest from now young adult baby boomers changed what had been a generally tepid interest in fine wine into a full-fledged pursuit of serious food and wine. On my part, I began researching, tasting and collecting wines, oriented to France and California, at that time the most important areas of the wine world. Since those days, my interests and collection have broadened to include wine regions all over the world, an interest that continues today. Working in the business, my understanding of wine grew and developed, along with my taste buds, and my wine collection. My great success with maturing fine wine reminds me of many wonderful dinners and bottles of wine that I’ve shared with friends and family. I have many corks, labels and box ends to remind me of good times enjoyed by many.
I appreciate how wine draws together so many elements from other aspects of life: geography, history, art, agriculture, climate, cooking and lively conversation. I think this may have been one of the early attractions for me of being a “serious wine guy” – it drew together my disparate interests and gave them a framework.
My wines are professionally stored and brought back to my primary wine cellar for the 2-3 years that I target as the prime drinking period. With an eclectic selection from various wine regions around the globe and vintages going back a few decades, I have a lot of fun matching wines, foods and friends. Still a passionate traveler and collector, I love to find a new grape, region or unique bottle that will contribute to an interesting wine tasting or dinner.
I’m forever grateful that I crossed paths with, and worked for, people who made the Boston wine market what it is today: Fred Ek and Roger Orman at BLM and Jim Hangstefer at Silenus Wines, among notable others. Their inspiration contributes to the wine collector I am today and my wish to share these precious gems with family and friends.